With all its competitors joining the electric mobility bandwagon, it was only a matter of time before Yamaha decided to do the same. And it might happen sooner rather than later. A recent report reveals that Yamaha Motor Company has teamed up with Bengaluru-based EV startup River to develop and produce its first global electric scooter.
This will not only mark Yamaha’s entry into the mass-market electric two-wheeler space but also a fundamental shift in its product strategy. Codenamed RY01, this Yamaha electric scooter will be based on the River Indie and expected to use the same powertrain and Battery Management System (BMS).
Yamaha electric scooter: What to expect?
According to Autocar India, production for the upcoming battery-powered scooter is expected to commence from somewhere between July and September 2025 with Yamaha eyeing a market launch towards the end of this year. The scooter is currently being developed by Yamaha’s global engineering teams in Japan, the US and Europe, alongside River in Bengaluru.
Although Yamaha maintains ownership of the project, River has been given full responsibility for its execution, covering engineering, research and development, powertrain, battery integration, and manufacturing. But why did Yamaha opt to build an electric scooter based on an existing platform despite having one of the biggest research and development teams globally?
Building the battery-powered scooter in an already existing platform will have multiple benefits for Yamaha, the biggest one is cost. Since India is primarily a budget-centric market, the project will be less intrusive into Yamaha’s pocket which should be visible on its price tag. Secondly, most e-scooters launched by Yamaha in Europe and other countries are low-speed models which don’t hold commercial viability in India. A performance-driven model will align more with the brand’s core brand DNA.
That said, the report indicates that although the Yamaha electric scooter will likely share the same core platform, powertrain, and BMS as the River Indie, it will feature a distinct design language that aligns more closely with Yamaha’s sporty identity. The RY01 will be built by River in India and exported globally.
As already mentioned, the top hat will be very distinct from the River India, therefore, it is very difficult to predict the upcoming e-scooter’s looks at this point of time. However, it will most likely share the same specifications as the Indie which gets a 4 kWh battery promising a range of 161 km on a single charge (IDC certified). This battery sends power to a 6.7 kW (around 9 bhp) PMSM electric motor. We expect this scooter to be priced competitively yet over Rs 1 lakh (ex-showroom).
